How easily do they drop their tails?

[kyahbean]

I have a new juvenile AFT and I was wondering how easily he can be scared enough to drop his tail.

I haven't really started handling him yet, but I have been putting my hand in the tank, letting him get used to me and such. I reached in to check his moist hide and I brushed against him and he jumped and ran. I'm paranoid that touching him or trying to hold him will make him drop his tail, and I really really really don't want that to happen.

Are they super sensitive? Will they drop them easily? I might just be being incredibly paranoid, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Snowy & Petra de Gecko]

I dunno

I am paranoid too.

I was a little rough with Petra last week and while she hissed she did not drop her tail.:main_no:

So that is a good question that I would like to see the answer to.

 

[acpart]

They really aren't that sensitive. It's not like you'll startle them and the tail will go. Mine have lost tails for the following reasons:
older hatchling got into their area and bit them off, got the tail stuck under something heavy (this happened to the tip of the tail of one of my banded geckos, but these guys are very small --my big and fat adult female is all of 11 grams), I dropped a hide on one of my geckos once and she lost the last 2" of her tail (this was an accident; I still feel terrible about it).

Aliza

 

[Haligren]

I've never had a gecko or any lizard lose their tail on me simply because I tried to pick them up. I don't think it comes off that easily. Hell, I've even grabbed at the tail before on accident and it didn't come off so I think it would probably require a pretty good tug.

 

[Bennayboi]

If your leo is under little to no stress and is accustomed to handling, i think you would literally have to pull it off. As long as you show him youre not a threat and pick him up from under his belly it shouldnt ever drop. And make sure hes not under stress while inside the tank(proper care and good, dark hides).

 

[Nigel4less]

Honestly the whole tail dropping thing is over rated. I`ve picked up geckos from their rear-end during cleanings before and NEVER had a tail drop. Would I recommend it, No. But honestly those tails can drop for a reason, especially for your first and only gecko I don't see why take the risk. Unless your gecko is seriously stressed out the original tail should never fall off with gentle handling.

 

[thestack510]

In my experience lizards tend to not really want to drop their tails. Usually tail dropping is a last ditch effort to survive. If your lizard is healthy and not stressed (doesn't feel threatened) you should be fine. I keep some of my Leos in groups when they aren't being bred and one day while feeding one of my Leos struck at a cricket, missed, and ended up with a mouthful of her smaller cage mates tail. I was scared she would drop her tail, but she just patiently waited for the other one to release. I think you'll be fine. As a habit I do avoid contact with thier tails as much as I can. I'm a bit paranoid when it comes to that too. I've kept many different types of lizards throughout my life and I have never once had one drop their tail.

 

[rubym]

One of our girls got a horrible bite from one of our males and I was sure that she would drop her tail but luckily she didn't. I also had one that got grabbed by the tail by a relative on accident and his tail is still intact. I don't think that they loose their tails very easily.

 

[nats]

Usually tail dropping is a last ditch effort to survive.

I think this is true.
You can torment and pester a leo all you want, and they will
not loose their tail.

If they were that fragile, we would be hearing about it alot more
often since everyone seems to enjoy taking them out and playing
with them.

 

[kyahbean]

I feel a little better about handling Puzzle now, thanks guys! Good point Nats about the fact that we would hear about it more often. I didn't think of that. I'll of course still do it slowly, letting him get used to my hand and everything, but now I think I will at least be a bit less paranoid about cleaning his water bowl, hide substrate, etc. I still don't think I will let anyone else hold him until he is used to me for quite awhile, though.

Do you guys let other people hold your geckos? Or is this too stressful for them?

 

[nats]

Do you guys let other people hold your geckos? Or is this too stressful for them?

Funny story about that;
My cousin Julie came over to visit, I have never considered her a
"animal lover" in fact, i dont think she has ever had a pet.
Anyway, I was showing her one of my leo's tanks. She asked me,
"Are they germy"!!?? I told her no, they are cleaner than people,
she then reached her hand into the tank, grabed Slinky (one of
my males), and planted a big kiss on top of his head.
She then put him back in the exact same spot!
Slinky (and I) where dumbstruck!!

 

[kyahbean]

Funny story about that;
My cousin Julie came over to visit, I have never considered her a
"animal lover" in fact, i dont think she has ever had a pet.
Anyway, I was showing her one of my leo's tanks. She asked me,
"Are they germy"!!?? I told her no, they are cleaner than people,
she then reached her hand into the tank, grabed Slinky (one of
my males), and planted a big kiss on top of his head.
She then put him back in the exact same spot!
Slinky (and I) where dumbstruck!!

LOL that's awesome.

 

[Haligren]

I feel a little better about handling Puzzle now, thanks guys! Good point Nats about the fact that we would hear about it more often. I didn't think of that. I'll of course still do it slowly, letting him get used to my hand and everything, but now I think I will at least be a bit less paranoid about cleaning his water bowl, hide substrate, etc. I still don't think I will let anyone else hold him until he is used to me for quite awhile, though.

Do you guys let other people hold your geckos? Or is this too stressful for them?

Funny thing about that, Tiamat doesn't seem to want to be held by anyone else. She'll gladly crawl onto my hand and up my arm to my shoulder but when I try to give her to someone else or let her crawl onto someone else's hand rather, she turns away. Both my husband and father-in-law have tried to take her from me only to have her practically run from their hands. She's funny like that. I didn't know that geckos could have preference in that manner, but I guess they do.

 

[Haligren]

lol Nats, that's cute. XD

 

[nats]

lol Nats, that's cute. XD

LOL! Yeah it was so funny because it was totally unexpected, and
Julie never even asked anything like, do they BITE!?

I asked her later about that, like, why she wasnt affraid, and she
told me she thought he was "cute", and how could anything that
cute bite you!!?? :main_laugh:

 

[nats]

Funny thing about that, Tiamat doesn't seem to want to be held by anyone else. She'll gladly crawl onto my hand and up my arm to my shoulder but when I try to give her to someone else or let her crawl onto someone else's hand rather, she turns away. Both my husband and father-in-law have tried to take her from me only to have her practically run from their hands. She's funny like that. I didn't know that geckos could have preference in that manner, but I guess they do.

None of mine will climb into my hand.
They will walk over it if it's in their way, and they do lick it, but they
never just get into my hand and say, "ok, let's go for a lift"!! :main_laugh:

 

[myjoyoverflows]

We've never had a problem with any of them dropping their tales or anything like that...I have a little girl who's almost 2 1/2 and she LOVES the geckos...we'll let her hold some of them (they are wicked chill and don't mind at all) and she's awesome...she'll gently pat them and give them little kisses...it's sweet. She's totally an animal lover! And the geckos don't seem to mind either...in fact, one of them seems quite taken to her!

 

[herpencounter]

...and how could anything that
cute bite you!!??

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